Juliandra

By Shawn Hill

October 2016 Revised Edition:
Thomas and Juliandra Lee begin sharing a long anticipated day together with love making, laughter, and tea, but their joy ends in tragedy when Juliandra is murdered and Thomas becomes trapped in a repeating nightmare which forces him to relive the event each time he wakes.

Thomas must choose to accept his new reality or fight to change it by discovering a way to save his beloved wife, Juliandra.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Shawn Hill
• Release date: Feb 17, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310582608

Shawn Hill

Shawn Hill has been a successful freelance IT specialist since 1994, volunteer instructor of taekwondo since 2004, online blogger since 2009, founded the non-profit known as MARTiAL YOU in 2011, has been creating instructional media since 2012, and most recently has leveraged his experience into that of an author.

Book preview

JULIANDRA

by Shawn Lewis Hill.

JULIANDRA

Copyright © 2016 by Shawn Lewis Hill

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information contact:

Wordsmith Publishing

P.O. Box 282

Carmel, Maine 04419

Drafted, 2014

First Printing, 2015

Revised, 2016

ISBN-13: 978-0692388723 (Wordsmith Publishing)

ISBN-10: 0692388729

Cover by Shawn Lewis Hill

CONTENTS

PREFACE

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1 – THE DAY BEFORE

CHAPTER 2 - THE MORNING

CHAPTER 3 - THE RECOVERY

CHAPTER 4 - THE REPEATING

CHAPTER 5 - THE CHANGE

CHAPTER 6 - THE FIRST TIME

CHAPTER 7 - THE QUESTIONS

CHAPTER 8 - THE ANSWERS

CHAPTER 9 - THE WAIT

CHAPTER 10 - THE SHOE

CHAPTER 11 - THE MEETING

CHAPTER 12 – THE HUNT

CHAPTER 13 - THE HOPE

PREFACE

I was inspired to write this book in order to tell a story I felt needed to be told, and to no longer keep it locked away within my imagination. After years of only being an idea, the decision was made to embark on the journey of becoming an author so those thoughts could be shared with the world.

You see, I believe that the majority of us alive today are romantics at heart, but get too caught up in the day to day formalities of existing within society, and that essential passion, that romance, becomes lost.

Our basic emotional needs are normally neglected, and so we attempt to fill that void with artificial and short-lived joys, from buying new things, treating ourselves to a favorite food, altering our appearance, or even changing who we are; when truly, what we need is to embrace that which we were born to do. Love and be loved.

Without each other, life would have very little meaning. Just imagine being the only living being on earth.

Would you care what you looked like?

Would you take pride in anything you did or accomplished?

Would you strive to become more than what you are?

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank all the individuals who read my story while in the draft state and those who helped me make it what it is by providing honest feedback. Without you, this story would not be as awesome as it is!

I would like to acknowledge and give a huge loving thank you to Brittny Mayo, who inspired me to write in the first place. Without Brittny’s encouragement, this story may have never been put onto paper.

THE SHOE is a chapter especially dedicated to Brittny Mayo, a beautiful woman and wonderful human being who changed my life forever with her love.

A special thanks goes out to Dylan Hill, who was the very first reader of this story. Dylan read each separate chapter just as quickly as they were written and showed interest in the story, characters, and plot, which reinforced my desire to complete the very first draft.

Thank You Audrey Co, Brittny Mayo, Adriana Hopkins, and George Adams for taking time out of your busy lives to help me edit this book. Your efforts were crucial to getting some of my phrasing, punctuation, tense, spelling, and grammar correct!

This entire story is dedicated to every human in existence, who understands the idea of love, chooses to right what is wrong, make good what is bad, and give all that they are for the sake of another, without regard for themselves.

INTRODUCTION

love noun \ˈləv\ as defined by Webster’s Dictionary

: a feeling of strong or constant affection for a person

: affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests

: attraction that includes sexual desire

: the strong affection felt by people who have a romantic relationship

Since the beginning of recorded history, almost any great deed from the past can be attributed to the concept of love; the love of one’s country, the love of God, the love of oneself, and the love of another. One could make the argument that without the feeling or concept which we have labeled love, humanity would not be where it is today.

Although many people believe they can feel what love is, or have felt what love is, having them try to define that feeling and reduce it to mere words remains a difficult task that always seems to diminish, and over simplify the true concept. It has been spoken that love can move mountains, that love can conquer all, and that love is all we need.

What if that were true? What if a single individual’s love was strong enough to change the entire world?

time noun \ˈtīm\ as defined by Webster’s Dictionary

: the measured or measurable period during which an action, process, or condition exists or continues

: a nonspatial continuum that is measured in terms of events which succeed one another from past through present to future

: the point or period when something occurs

Time is a word created by mankind, used to describe the concept of order among events that we, as human beings are aware of and perceive. We categorize these events into three basic sets: events that have already happened, events that are happening, and events that could happen - our past, our present and our future. For most of us, that concept of order will be the only way we will ever perceive and understand the world around us, and our own existence.

For some, that is not so true…

CHAPTER 1 – THE DAY BEFORE

It’s Friday, July 11th, 10:30am, and twenty-nine year old Juliandra Lee is interviewing a potential client at the Foundation House, a local drug rehab center where she began working after helping her brother overcome his addiction to cocaine.

Across from her sits a very thin, older man, in his late forties. He’s there seeking help because of continuous pressure from his only daughter. The man, Danny Davis, is unable to remain still but is doing his best to answer some questions.

Mr. Davis, I know this isn’t exactly what you want to be doing, but can you tell me how often you use the crystal you get ahold of? Mr. Davis, how many times a week do you use crystal? Once? Twice?

I need it a lot, Mrs. Lee. Without the fire, I can’t bear to go on each day. It keeps me going.

How often do you use, Danny?

Every day, Mrs. Lee… Every damn day!

Okay, Danny, can you to tell me when you first started using drugs?

Well, it’s been a long time. A long time since I first used something, something to take my worry away.

Do you think you can remember when?

Well, Mrs. Lee, I’ll try… I don’t know exactly the day but I know I was fifteen. My boys brought me some weed, and it helped me relax. I smoked that for years until I got ahold of some fire. Man, it got me.

So, you’ve only tried marijuana and meth?

Oh no, I tried lots of ‘em, but I didn’t know what they were. The boys always had something, always something for me to try. Some of this, some of that. All I knew… I needed it.

Meanwhile, at Rudy Smith’s Accounting Services, one town over, thirty-two year old Thomas Lee is sitting in a large office chair, working to resolve a computer issue before his next appointment.

Damn it! Where the hell are you hiding? Thomas blurts out, pounding away at a keyboard. Stupid spyware crap, I‘m gonna terminate your ass!

At that moment, a sprite middle-aged man walks in while combing his hair from left to right with his fingers. He approaches the desk where Thomas is working. How’s it going Thomas? He asks, Did you get the systems all fixed up?

Oh, I’m workin’ on it Rudy. I’ve found and cleaned up everything except one last process that seems to be hiding from me at the moment, but I’ll find it. Should be another thirty to forty-five minutes before this gets done, if all goes well.

Really, what do you think happened?

Well, seems like you might have landed on a website that injected malicious code into your operating system through the web browser. I don’t recognize the infection, but that only means I haven’t seen it before.

Rudy grabs a file from the desk and starts making his way towards the door before stopping a moment and turning back. I do a lot of research on the internet and can’t afford to have this happen all the time. What can we do to stop this from happening again?

Thomas, still seated, spins towards Rudy, takes his hands and places them together, fingertip-to-fingertip, just below his lower lip.

Well, it’s like this Rudy. Think of the Internet like you would the world. There are some places in the world you just don’t want to be. Places where you might get sick from drinking the water, or mugged because you look out of place, or maybe even kidnapped or killed. If you want to avoid these types of places you should only go where you know it’s safe, places you trust. It’s easy to take a wrong turn on the web, just like in real life, and end up somewhere you don’t want or need to be. All the Internet security software in the world isn’t going to help you if you keep visiting places that are hostile and you basically invite the attackers in. It’s really a matter of using the Internet in a smart way, rather than being carefree, going from place to place.

Back at the Foundation House, Juliandra sits in a break room eating lunch before a group counseling session with several clients at 1:30pm. The chicken noodle soup she brought in for lunch is steaming as she holds a spoonful in front of her and blows on it. After getting her first taste, Juliandra lowers the spoon back into the bowl, stirs it around while checking her cellphone then stops to compose a text message to Thomas.

SMS: ‘I can’t wait for this weekend with you. Just us ’

After hitting ‘SEND,’ she scoops up more soup as a coworker walks into the room and asks about Danny Davis.

Juliandra, what’s up with Mr. Davis? Is he being accepted to the clinic today? He’s telling me that he needs to go and get his fire. What the heck is his fire? What should I do with him?

Keep him here until Doctor Fiave arrives. Juliandra replies, "I called him before lunch so he should be here any time. Mr. Davis is addicted to methamphetamines and we need to get him assessed immediately by the doctor. I think he needs a prescription for Desoxyn so we can get him calmed down and gradually wean him off what he’s been using.

Juliandra rises out of her seat with the remaining soup to place it on the counter top behind her. As she turns, the bottom of the bowl hits the counter’s edge, causing it to drop and break, sending soup everywhere.

Ahhh! Juliandra grumbles, I wanted that soup for later. It’s my favorite soup. Well… Gimme a couple of minutes to clean this up Diane, and I’ll be out. Keep Mr. Davis occupied for me, please.

A few miles away, Thomas finds himself standing in a checkout line inside Groupard’s grocery store, waiting to pay for his lunch before heading to his next appointment. A chicken salad sandwich and small cup of fruit sit in front of him on the mini conveyer belt, moving closer toward Jay, the cashier, who’s trying to help an elderly woman figure out the credit card terminal.

Without skipping a beat, like a well-programmed robot, the awkward looking teen hands the woman her receipt, tells her to have a nice day, and then immediately turns to Thomas. Hi, sir, did you find everything you were looking for today?

Thomas, unable to help himself and wanting to break up the perpetual repetition the poor kid was clearly trapped in, immediately replies.

No, I didn’t! I came in here to find hot women, and I only saw one in aisle four, and she was already in someone’s cart.

The cashier looks stumped for a moment, taken off guard by a very unusual answer to his very standard and well-rehearsed question. Slowly, a smile breaks across his face and he apologizes to Thomas. I’m sorry sir. I’ll let the manager know that we’re all out of hot women and that we should order more right away. Your total is $6.79.

Thomas smiles and hands the awkward teen a ten dollar bill. Well, I guess I’ll have to settle for this sandwich for now, but I’m very disappointed, young man.

Still smiling, the cashier places the money in the cash tray and stops to stare at the screen in front of him before handing Thomas his change. Thomas heads out to the parking lot and walks around like a tourist trying to remember where the heck he put his vehicle. After walking down the wrong row of cars, he finally spots his truck one row over, doubles back, and passes a family loading groceries into their minivan. As Thomas walks by, a small girl no older than three, sitting in their shopping cart, smiles and waves to him; Thomas raises his hand and gives a little wave back. Just as he passes the cart by only a few steps, he hears the little girl ask her mom a question. Mommy, why is that man’s nose so big?

Thomas laughs as he continues towards his truck and mumbles under his breath: If adults were that honest to each other, the world would be so different.

Once inside the truck, Thomas hears a chime from his cell phone and reaches over to the passenger seat to pick it up. Checking the screen, he sees that Juliandra has sent him a text message. A huge smile forms on his face as he quickly replies, YES!! , before starting the vehicle and getting back on the road.

1:00pm rolls around as Thomas drives into